The life of Queen Elizabeth II

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Photos:The life of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth is the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Look back at moments from her life so far.

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Photos:The life of Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth was born April 21, 1926, in London. She is held here by her mother, Elizabeth. Her father would later become King George VI.

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Photos:The life of Queen Elizabeth II

Princess Elizabeth in 1928.

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Photos:The life of Queen Elizabeth II

Princess Elizabeth is seen with her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales, during a visit to Balmoral, Scotland, in September 1933. He would go on to become King Edward VIII in 1936. But when he abdicated later that year, Elizabeth's father became King and she became heir presumptive.

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Photos:The life of Queen Elizabeth II

Princess Elizabeth is seen in the Duchess' box during a pantomime act at London's Lyceum Theater in February 1935.

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Photos:The life of Queen Elizabeth II

From left, Princess Elizabeth, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret wave to the crowd from the Royal Balcony of Buckingham Palace on June 22, 1939.

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A 14-year-old Princess Elizabeth, right, sits next to her sister for a radio broadcast on October 13, 1940. On the broadcast, her first, she said that England's children were full of cheerfulness and courage.

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Photos:The life of Queen Elizabeth II

Princess Elizabeth shakes hands with an officer of the Grenadier Guards on May 29, 1942. King George VI made Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the Royal Army regiment.

With the Drakensberg Mountains behind her, Princess Elizabeth sits in South Africa's Natal National Park on April 21, 1947, her 21st birthday.

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Photos:The life of Queen Elizabeth II

This portrait of the British royal family was taken in July 1947, after Princess Elizabeth, far left, got engaged to Prince Philip of Greece, a lieutenant in the British Navy. He is second from left. To his left are Queen Elizabeth, King George VI and Princess Margaret.

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The Royal Wedding Party waves from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on November 20, 1947. After becoming a British citizen and renouncing his Greek title, Philip became His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His wife became the Duchess of Edinburgh.

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Photos:The life of Queen Elizabeth II

Princess Elizabeth smiles in March 1950 as she arrives to a state banquet at the French Embassy in London's Kensington Palace Gardens.

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Photos:The life of Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth ascended to the throne in February 1952, when her father died of lung cancer. Here, the new Queen leaves the Royal Archers Hall in Edinburgh after a ball in June 1952. It was the first function she attended as Queen following her father's death.

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Queen Elizabeth II walks to the altar during her coronation ceremony on June 2, 1953.

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Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony of Melbourne's Government House, during her tour of Australia in March 1954.

The Queen speaks at a reception for members of the International Olympic Committee on July 23, 2012.

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The Queen tours the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London in December 2012.

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A boy in Belfast, Northern Ireland, takes a selfie in front of the Queen in June 2014.

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Photos:The life of Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen enters the Great Hall at Edinburgh Castle after attending a commemorative service for the Scottish National War Memorial in July 2014.

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The Queen waits to give her speech during the State Opening of Parliament on May 27, 2015.

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The Queen sits at a desk in Buckingham Palace in July 2015.

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The British monarch greets the public after attending church services in February.

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Prince George gets a boost from some foam blocks for a special family photo. The portrait, featuring the four generations of the House of Windsor, was commissioned by the Royal Mail and will be featured on a series of stamps to commemorate the Queen's 90th birthday.

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Photos:The life of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II acknowledges the crowd as she celebrates her 90th birthday in Windsor, England, on April 21.

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Photos:The life of Queen Elizabeth II

On June 10, Buckingham Palace released a new official photograph to mark the Queen's 90th birthday. It shows her with Prince Philip and was taken at Windsor Castle just after Easter.

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It has been 64 years since Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the British throne. On September 9, 2015, the Queen became the longest-reigning monarch in British history.